Елвира 's Reviews > The Stranger At The Palazzo D'oro

I love Paul Theroux and this is my first encounter with his short stories. The novella 'The Stranger at the Palazzo d'Oro" I liked much, even though the ending was a little bit profane. "An African story" was great, I also liked the "Disheveled nymphs", especially the first part when talking about the character of the protagonist. However, "A Judas memoir" started promisingly, but it ended badly and I did not even read the last part.

Paul Theroux is astonishing with building up characters and, for that matter, with reflecting on them. There is so much depth in his writings. Especially when it comes to sexuality and sexual desire, he is simply great. Still, his stories sound so real, that they degrade a little bit. Because reality is not so adventurous or stylish, there are always downfalls and some profanity. Which makes him credible and very interesting, and yet, in the case of this specific compilation, too unpleasant for my taste. Anyways, his choice of themes and topics is unusual and very imaginative as always.